The man who welcomed millions of visitors to Bonneville Dam will share some insider’s stories about the structure at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, 1501 E. Evergreen Blvd.
Joseph “Pat” Barry is the author of “Bonneville Lock and Dam: A Gift from the People of the Great Depression.” For 27 years, Barry managed the Bonneville Visitor Center, the largest and most-visited center operated by the Corps of Engineers. He shaped the visitor experience for a half-million people a year.
He will share stories about people who worked there, tell who Capt. Benjamin Bonneville was and describe the natural events that set the stage for the 2,690-foot-long dam in the Columbia River Gorge.
Barry will explain the best ways to visit the dam and offer some obscure facts about this iconic structure, which was built in the 1930s.
After 35 years as a park ranger and interpreter, Barry volunteers at Fort Vancouver and serves as the communications chair on the board of directors of the Corps Foundation.
